The pair where killed when a truck driven by 31-year-old Paul Sanchez plowed into the car driven by Flora Chavez. Sanchez was allegedly running from the town's police chief, Edward von Kutzleben, who had pulled Sanchez over because Sanchez is wanted in Arizona.

When Sanchez allegedly made a break for it, von Kutzleben drew his service revolver and fired shots at Sanchez's truck.

Many people blame von Kutzleben for causing the crash, although State Police investigators say that the chief's actions had nothing to with the crash. And at a public meeting Tuesday night, many of those looking to assess blame pointed fingers and shook their fists at a convenient target — von Kutzleben.

Their anger is misplaced, however.

It is ridiculous to expect law enforcement to stand aside while a wanted felon is cruising the streets of Mountainair. Police reports indicate that Sanchez was in possession of methamphetamine and that he had driven upward of 70 mph through three stop signs before the crash.

Von Kutzleben's time as Mountainair's police chief has not been without controversy. Some have complained in the past that his tactics were "too rough" and he was going to be "put under a pine tree" and that "this is a good old boy town and we'd like to keep it that way." His job was saved in March 2008 when the Town Council had initially withheld a vote to reinstate his contract. After the department's three officers handed in their badges, the council reconsidered.

Now von Kutzleban's detractors are exploiting a tragedy to exact revenge on the chief. This is wrong.

Mountainair has had a long history of a swinging door at its police department, hiring at least eight police chiefs in the past decade and numerous officers. At one point five years ago, there were no officers and no chief.

Now the town has a police chief committed to law enforcement. It should do all it can to hang on to him.

Those looking for a scapegoat for a tragic crime should look elsewhere; this time it wasn't the cop's fault.